Natural Dyed Easter Eggs

For larger items used (such as carrots and cabbage) you can chop or shred into small pieces for greater concentration of dye.

When using foods, we recommend 1 cup of food to each 1 cup of water.

For powders, we recommend 2-3 tablespoons per 1 cup of water. 

INGREDIENTS

• Hard boiled eggs
• 1 cup of water per 1 cup of dye
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. First, you must decide how many cups of dye you would like to make. Whatever that number is, place that many cups of water in a large pot. 
2. Add the dye matter.
3. Bring to a boil; then reduce to a simmer; cover.
4. Continue cooking until you are satisfied with the colour (usually at least 30 minutes). To check the colour, you can drip some dye onto a white dish. You want the dye to be a few shades darker than how you would like it to look on your egg.
5. Once you have achieved your desired colour, remove the dye from heat and let cool to room temperature.
6. Once cooled, strain the dye, then add one tablespoon of vinegar per cup of dye. The vinegar will help to set the colours.
7. Now, you are ready to start dying your eggs! You can use a baking dish to dye all eggs a single colour, or use jars to easily dye multiple eggs different colours - just be sure the eggs are completely submerged.
8. Next, transfer the eggs in their dye to the refrigerator to chill until the desired colour is acquired (this also ensures the eggs are still safe to eat!). It's important to keep in mind that natural dyes will take longer to reach a vibrant colour than store-bought dyes.
9. Once your eggs have set for your desired time (overnight works well!), carefully dry them, then (optionally) massage a little oil with a towel onto each egg for shine. For an even more vibrant dye, repeat the soaking process however many times as you like - just be sure to dry the eggs in between.

Note: To dye one dozen eggs, you will need about 4 cups of dye solution.